Little Caesers Scores High on Value, Low on Taste

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According to arecent survey of restaurant customers in the United States, when it comes to identifying what drives loyalty for restaurants, the most commonly cited factors in determining which pizza-takeout restaurant is patronized most often are good value (53 percent), convenient locations (44 percent), low prices (44 percent), good discounts/promotions (42 percent), and fast service (41 percent).

Having great-tasting food was the seventh-most important factor in driving loyalty, cited by 35 percent of consumers. The survey included five of the largest pizza-takeout restaurant brands in the U.S.: Cici’s Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Papa John’s Pizza, and Pizza Hut.

The survey asked consumers to rate restaurant brands on different attributes. The pizza-takeout brands with the strongest perceptions for providing good value among past visitors were Little Caesar’s (45 percent) and Cici’s (43 percent).

The top-scoring brands for low prices were Little Caesar’s (50 percent) and Cici’s (47 percent), while the top-scoring brands for good discounts/promotions were Domino’s (39 percent) and Little Caesar’s (38 percent).

The brands most likely to be perceived to offer fast service were Little Caesar’s (43 percent) and Cici’s (38 percent).

When it comes to taste, Papa John’s was the top-rated pizza-takeout brand for having great-tasting food by 44 percent, followed by Pizza Hut with 41 percent.

This was one of Little Caesar’s relative weaknesses, with only 30 percent of past visitors saying it provided great-tasting food.

“For restaurants in the pizza-takeout segment, the most important factors that drive loyalty to a brand are all related to providing great price/value relationship and fast service from a convenient set of locations,” says David Decker, president, Consumer Edge Insight.

“Little Caesar’s scores among the top-two brands in the segment on each of these attributes, but with other brands close behind,” he adds. “The competitiveness of this segment means that brands need to continue to find other ways to differentiate themselves in ways that enhance perceived value.”